Also called Gautama. Also called Butsu. Also called Goutama Buddha. Also called Goutama. Also called Gautama Buddha,. Prince Siddhāttha or Siddhartha, 566?–c480 b.c., Indian religious leader: founder of Buddhism.
any of a series of teachers in Buddhism, of whom Gautama was the last, who bring enlightenment and wisdom.
(sometimes lowercase) a person who has attained full prajna, or enlightenment; Arhat.
Buddhism (often capital) a person who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment
an image or picture of the Buddha
First recorded in 1675–85; from Sanskrit: “awakened” ( budh- “awaken, notice, understand” + -ta past participle suffix)
How does buddha compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Manjusri, with a calm smile, gently raises his hand to counter that the true nonmaterial essence of the Buddha can never be comprehended before transcending the material world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The Buddha, seeing him bruised, bloody, and weeping, smiles and tells him he must bear it.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
One depicts the Buddha scrolling on a smart phone.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
Upon arriving in India on 30 May, Min Aung Hlaing visited Bodh Gaya and offered prayers at the Mahabodhi Temple, built at the site where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
A billion more each came from Buddha and Genghis Khan and Beethoven, and any other historical figure you care to name.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
His wife, Diane, added a buddha after Game 1 which seems to have worked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025
They also took screenshots of products offered for sale on Facebook, from elephant ivory bracelets and rings trimmed in 14-karat gold to intricate happy buddha ivory carvings, whole rhino horns, and tiger fang pendants.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 18, 2020
Her buddha bowls celebrate the versatility and simplicity of this modern instagram food trend, champion seasonal veg and the power of a good dressing!
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2019
George Stephanopoulos, then a top White House adviser, later referred to Morris as “the dark buddha whose belly Clinton rubbed in desperate times.”
From Washington Post ● Jul. 21, 2016
With all the cousins getting ready for the festivities, he was probably still sitting on his bed like a buddha, waiting for a pair of feet.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
